Managing Social-Ecological Systems for Resilience

Collaborative entrepreneurial action to manage coupled socialecological systems for resilience. University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna.

Managing Social-Ecological Systems for Resilience

Objectives

Rural communities manage a wide variety of natural resources. Yet, the access to these resources and the distribution of their benefits is often unequal in the community, differing along gender lines, age groups, and ownership structures. This unequal access may reinforce broader rural challenges such as unemployment, hidden rural poverty, and youth outmigration. Moreover lack of critical reflexion on traditions often hampers the innovative use of resources, even when it would address community and broader societal demands. Collaborative entrepreneurial action can address these challenges, by engaging diverse stakeholders, strengthening resourcefulness, and transforming local resource relationships. This project explores barriers and opportunities for collaborative entrepreneurial action that is just, empowering, and restorative. Particular emphasis will be given to the potential of rethinking gender roles and of strengthening intergenerational connections to encourage innovative ideas, stimulate the reflexive questioning of traditions, and promote critical resilience.

Expected Results

Clarify influence of traditional gender roles and division by age groups as a barrier to rethinking the use of natural resources and to civic engagement; Guidelines on enhancing social justice in rural communities; critical assessment of the use of visual methods as a means to strengthening resourcefulness and further enabling collective action.